Dutch youth league linesman dies after being attacked

[pSinatra]

A Dutch man has died after being kicked and punched by a group of teenage football players for whom he acted as linesman in a Sunday league match.

Richard Nieuwenhuizen collapsed and was taken to hospital hours after he was beaten by three players from Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten. He died on Monday.

He had been officiating for Buitenboys club, in the town of Almere, and one of his own sons had been playing.

Three teenagers, aged between 15 and 16, have reportedly been arrested.

Buitenboys club chairman Marcel Oost said Mr Nieuwenhuizen, 41, officiated as linesman for the team every week. "He enjoyed doing it. He was a real football man; he was always here," he told national broadcaster NOS.

News of his death sparked shock in sporting circles around the Netherlands.

The Dutch minister for sports, Edith Schippers, said: "It is absolutely terrible that something like this can happen on a Dutch sports field".

Anton Binnenmars ,of the Royal Netherlands Football Association, described it as "too crazy for words that somebody involved in a sporting hobby becomes a victim of this kind of aggression".

Nieuw Sloten said it was "deeply shocked" by what had happened, and intended to ban for life the players found to be responsible, had pulled their team from the league and temporarily suspended all its operations as a club.

"Violence should not be on the football fields," it said.

[ozleicester]

Horrific

[SOCCERROO FOX]

Hope the people who did this get locked up for a long, long time and send a message this is not acceptable in any form of society let alone football.

[Guest MattP]

Hope the people who did this get locked up for a long, long time and send a message this is not acceptable in any form of society let alone football.

This.

Astounding tbh, what the fcuk were they thinking?

[Corky]

It's only a game ffs.

Tragic loss.

[marko]

The teens have just been charged with manslaughter - not murder - and will appear in court on Thursday.

[Milton Keynes Fox]

The teens have just been charged with manslaughter - not murder - and will appear in court on Thursday.

Manslaughter based on what though? There's no evidence that it was pre planned?

[purpleronnie]

When it comes to football the dutch are crazy.

[marko]

Manslaughter based on what though? There's no evidence that it was pre planned?

Manslaughter based on what evidence the Dutch prosecutors have. Obviously not enough to charge them with murder.

[ADK]

Probably that there's no evidence they meant to kill him.

[MPH]

Manslaughter based on what evidence the Dutch prosecutors have. Obviously not enough to charge them with murder.

Not justifying what they did... it was horrendous and i hope they do some time for it, but they are probably distraught that he has died. Probably wanted to just give him a good kicking... and it sounds so callous of me to write it like that...

[Guest]

Sadly, there is a trend in "sunday" football where linesmen and refs are regularly abused in most countries

[notnow john]

This is true ,it's the reason referee numbers are at crisis point.

[FoxesAreBlue]

This is true ,it's the reason referee numbers are at crisis point.

My brother does it (sunday league) and gets no end of stick from players, managers and spectators, he's big enough to let it roll off his back but it's amazing the stories you hear of the abuse he gets after games from fully grown adults including violence and more than once he has had to lock himself in the changing rooms.

Take away the bag of air that they have just been kicking around and I'm sure none of them would act in this way.

Once he was being followed home by a car full of the losing sides players, as he's a copper he rang a few of colleagues who showed up and also followed him to give him some protection.

[DB11]

My brother does it (sunday league) and gets no end of stick from players, managers and spectators, he's big enough to let it roll off his back but it's amazing the stories you hear of the abuse he gets after games from fully grown adults including violence and more than once he has had to lock himself in the changing rooms.

Take away the bag of air that they have just been kicking around and I'm sure none of them would act in this way.

Once he was being followed home by a car full of the losing sides players, as he's a copper he rang a few of colleagues who showed up and also followed him to give him some protection.

I referee, but no way will I ever referee Sunday league! It's certainly not worth it, and I'd be an idiot for putting myself in that situation to begin with. Sunday league football can crash and burn as far as I'm concerned, I'd never referee it!

At least Saturday football the players actually want to try and win... (as opposed to being brutal thugs*)

*sweeping statement, but of the games I have watched I am yet to be convinced otherwise... every time a referee tells me I should referee Sunday morning adults I think I'll go and watch a game and it puts me off again!